A historic Norwich building that has supported young homeless people for more than a century has been put up for sale.
A pair of Georgian town houses on St Giles Street, which has been owned by the YMCA since 1886, is open to offers in excess of £500,000.
Property specialists driving the sale said the building's city centre location will make it a draw for businesses – and could see it converted into a restaurant or a hotel.
The move comes after YMCA Norfolk relocated to modern accommodation blocks near Norwich bus station and in Bethel Street.
But before they are snapped-up by investors, a heritage society has called for the grade II listed buildings to be opened to the public so people can explore their unique historical features.
Vicky Manthorpe, (pictured) of the Norwich Society, said the properties are of special historical significance because of their undercrofts – underground chambers created by traders in the 14th century to store goods.
She said: 'It would be nice if there was time before the building is converted by its new owners to explore the undercrofts so people can see these early features of the city. 'They go back to the Tudor period and have been left by the buildings which used to be there. These chambers are a particular feature of Norwich and not many other cities have them left.
'But the building also has some interesting 19th century decorative details, which people might like to see.'
Meanwhile, Nick Dunn, divisional partner at Brown & Co, which is selling the 40-bedroom property, said it will appeal to investors and developers.
He said: 'This is a unique property opportunity in an excellent city centre location on St Giles Street, which is a thriving mixed use quarter within the city. It is close to The Forum, The Market Place and Chapelfield Gardens
'The property provides an excellent refurbishment opportunity which is suitable for all sorts of uses including offices, hotel, leisure, retail, restaurants or bars and medical and residential, subject to planning. It has had an interesting history and we are excited to see what the next chapter has in store.'
Tim Sweeting, chief executive of YMCA Norfolk, added: 'This property has been an integral part of the history of Norwich YMCA, which has now grown to become YMCA Norfolk. It is a well-known landmark in the city, not just because of its prominent location, but because so many local people have enjoyed the benefits of YMCA services there over the years.
'The building has had many uses and has been an integral part of life in the changing city of Norwich over the last 150 years and it is with pride that we look back at the significant difference it has made to so many young lives.
'We are now looking to dispose of the building to allow us to invest in YMCA work with coming generations of Norwich's young people.'
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